Demande directe (CEACR) - adoptée 2008, publiée 98ème session CIT (2009)

Convention (n° 29) sur le travail forcé, 1930 - Saint-Vincent-et-les Grenadines (Ratification: 1998)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its earlier comments and, in particular, the Government’s indications that Saint Vincent and the Grenadines does not have a military or defence force or a Defence Force Act. It also notes that section 67(3) of the Prisons Act (Cap. 281) prohibits prisoners to work for the private benefit of any person.

Articles 1(1) and 2(1) of the Convention. Legislation concerning vagrancy. In its earlier comments, the Committee referred to the provision of section 123(b) of the Summary Jurisdiction Offences Ordinance, 1926, under which every person who wanders about and sleeps or lodges in any public place, having no visible means of subsistence and not giving a satisfactory account of himself, shall be liable to a fine or to imprisonment of one month. It requested the Government to provide information on the application of the abovementioned provision in practice, including copies of any court decisions defining or illustrating its scope, so as to enable the Committee to ascertain whether this provision is applied in a manner compatible with the Convention.

The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that the Summary Jurisdiction (Procedures) Ordinance, 1926, has been repealed by the Criminal Procedure Code, 1988, and the Summary Conviction Offences Ordinance, 1926, has been repealed by the Criminal Code, 1988. It requested the Government to supply a copy of the repealing text.

The Committee notes that the Government has supplied, with its latest report, a copy of Act No. 44 of 1988, which repealed, inter alia, the Summary Jurisdiction (Procedures) Ordinance, 1926. The Committee again requests the Government to communicate, with its next report, a copy of the text which repealed the Summary Jurisdiction Offences Ordinance, 1926, which contained section 123(b) referred to above. Please also supply the latest updated and consolidated text of the Criminal Code (Cap. 124).